(HorizonPost.com) – The 24-year-old former Ohio social worker charged with inappropriate conduct with a teenage client is now facing two additional charges of intimidation after showing up at the victim’s home with a gun, the Columbus Dispatch reported.
Payton Shires was charged with intimidation of a victim or witness after showing up at the victim’s home last Thursday at about 5:30 p.m. According to court records, while the victim’s mother was not home at the time, she observed Shires on the front porch via surveillance footage carrying a gun.
The mother reported to the police that Shires threatened to kill her and then herself. She also informed police about a phone call Shires had placed to her, accusing the mother of ruining her life.
In late September, the victim’s mother discovered text messages from Shires on her 13-year-old son’s phone and believed “something inappropriate was happening” between them. In the messages, Shires allegedly asked the boy if he deleted videos or if his mother had seen their texts or videos.
After a forensic evaluation of the phone, police found a video showing Shires engaging in inappropriate acts with the 13-year-old. The boy later admitted to meeting up with Shires at various locations around Columbus during September. Police also captured a recording of a call between the victim’s mother and Shires in which she admitted having inappropriate contact with the teen.
Shires was arrested on October 6. Her initial bond of $500,000 was reduced to $50,000 on October 11. She posted the bond that day and was released. However, as a condition of her release, Shires was not to have contact with the victim or his family.
After her arrest last week, Shires was back in Franklin County jail.
Shires formerly worked at the National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP) which provides social work and counseling for families involved in the foster system.
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